Combination elevator and spider

ABSTRACT

Apparatus encircles, grips and holds plain end well casing being lowered into bore hole, or removed therefrom.

O Unlted States Patent {151 3,6 75,27 8 Powell {451 July 11, 1972 i541COMBINATION ELEVATOR AND l,666,62l 4/1928 Greenwood ..24/249 DP SPIDER2.145.066 1/1939 [72] Inventor: Thurman 0. Powell, Box 453, Cross230L625 l [942 Plains Callahan County Tex 76443 259L763 4/1952 l,6l3,4391/1927 [22] Filed: July 30, I970 l,889,592 [M932 1967 5!? 7/1934 2] A IN l: l 1 pp 0 59-553 2,969,845 l/l96l Hester ..24/263 D I I U-S. (:l. Il v v I v v v I l l I Examiner-Danald [5|] Int. Cl ..ll2ld 4l/02 [58]Field of Search llll ..24/249 DP, 263 D, 263 SC, 263 DL. 57 13" ACT24/263 D5, 263 DT, 263 HA, 263 DD, 263 DJ, 263 1 PC, 263 DC}, 263 DNApparatus encircles, grips and holds plain and well casing being loweredinto bore hole, or removed therefrom. [56] References Clled 1 Clahn, 2Drawing figures UNITED STATES PATENTS [552,062 9/1925 Krell ..24/249 DPPATENT'EDJuL 1 1 m2 SHEET 10F 2 AT TORN EY PATENTEDJUL 1 1 m2 sum 2 or 2ATTORNEY COMBINATION ELEVATOR AND SPIDHI This invention relates to atool or apparatus for lowering plain end and collared casing in wellbores and removing same therefrom, and would be generally classified asa combination casing elevator and spider.

The primary object of the invention is to supply the water well drillingindustry with an urgently needed tool for handling plain end wellcasing, a type universally used in well bores of large diameter.

This tool or apparatus, as designed, will accommodate any size wellcasing with an exact fit, serving both as elevator and spider and willeliminate the need for the cumbersome, conventional spider and the usualpractice of welding on lugs or burning holes in plain end casing andlowering in well by means of bar and chain, wire loops, or some otherimprovised method.

The complete apparatus comprises a duplicate pair that servesalternately and in sequence as elevator and spider for each section ofcasing as it is attached to top of preceding section, as by welding, andlowered in well bore. Since the two units of the apparatus areessentially identical, each containing in its embodiment all of thecomponents and accessories for serving as elevator or spider, only onewill be shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be referred to as anapparatus.

The frame of apparatus consists of a plurality of circular, hingedsegments that encircle casing and is tightly secured around casing bymeans of an adjustable latch. Each frame segment is equipped with anautomatic, spring action casing slip. The incline bearing surface onframe segment and incline bearing surface on slip coact to force slip togrip and hold casing when stress is applied to lifting bail.

The apparatus is accommodated to different size casing by adding,dropping, or exchanging frame segments, which are cast in more than onelength, then when x number of segments lap or fail to reach aroundcasing, one or more segments are exchanged for shorter or longersegments, as the case requires, and the adjustable latch will compensatefor any lack in exact fit.

The foundation for the operation when using this combination apparatusmay be a rotary table, casing sills with a section of steel plate orsome other flat surface that will support the weight of a string ofcasing. The energy for operation is supplied through the usual drawworks, block, lines and hook, which is attached to lifting bail to raiseand lower casing in well bore. One unit of apparatus picks up a sectionof casing, which is lowered in well bore to a point where apparatusrests on foundation and becomes an acting casing spider by gripping andholding while the other unit of apparatus picks up the next section,which is to be attached to top of preceding section, as by welding; thenthe bottom apparatus is released and the casing lowered further in well,to a point where this unit rests on foundation and becomes the actingspider. This routine is continued until all casing has been lowered intowell bore. It will be observed from the foregoing that the two identicalunits of apparatus alternate as elevator and spider, hence, acombination tool.

The invention may be more readily understood by referring to theaccompanying drawings and the description thereof, and whereas:

FIG. 1 is an oblique plan view of the embodied apparatus encircling asection of metal well casing;

FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view, showing mechanism of certainessential components of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the casing 10 is a section of metal well casing,which is to be lowered in well bore (not shown) by means of lifting baill1 and draw works (not shown) to a point where apparatus rests onfoundation, (not shown) which may be a rotary table or some othersuitable foundation. The upper portion of casing 10 is encircled by theembodied apparatus, comprising multiple hinged frame segments 14 and twolatch segments 25. Segments are interconnected by meshing lugs 21 withears 20, which aligns opening in 21 with opening in 20 into which hingebolt 12 is inserted and secured by nut 13. Ap-

paratus is adapted to be secured around around casinfi 10 by Insertinglatch bolt 32 in opening 23, seating bolt hea 24 m bell seat 23,grasping hand hold 33 and swinging latch bolt 32 into slot 35, thentightening nut 31 on washer 34, forcing washer 34 into bell seat 23.Slip mechanism is more clearly shown in FIG. 2, wherein slip pin holdstension on slip activating spring, which is seated in bore hole 28 andsecured by metal plate 17 and set screws 16. Metal mandrel 22 (a frustumof a cone) is babbited on end of lifting bail l1 and anchored inslotted, tapered opening 18. Set screw 19 holds mandrel in place whenbail is relaxed.

Referring to FIG. 2, lifting bail 11 has metal mandrel babbited to lowerend and is to be anchored in slotted, tapered opening 18 for lifting andlowering apparatus. Frame segments 14 are interconnected by meshing lugs21 with ears 20, aligning openings 30 into which hinge bolt 12 isinserted and secured by nut 13. Spiral spring 27 is inserted ininclined, elongated bore hole 28, then when slip 15 is lowered intooperating position, spline 37 engages spline 38, slip pin 36 enters borehole 28 compressing spring 27. Tension is kept on spring 27 by means ofmetal plate 17 over slip pin 36, secured by set screws 16 in screw holes26.

The vertical depth of the slotted spline 38 being greater than thevertical width of spline 37 and the incline in bore hole 28 will leaveslip 15 free to move outward and downward to grip and hold casing. Thetension created on spring 27 when slip 15 moves downward to grip casing10 will automatically return slip 15 to its original position when latchis released. Since the incline of slip bearing surface is equal toincline 39 of frame segment 14, slip 15 will remain vertical at alltimes.

lclairn:

l. A combination casing elevator and spider and method, for loweringcasing in well bores and removing same therefrom, comprising a duplicatepair; each consisting of a plurality of interconnected, circular hingedframe segments of varying lengths, with inclined, splined slip bearingsurfaces, there being an inclined, elongated bore hole for slipactivating spring and splined slip pin; casing slips with groovegripping surface, inclined bearing surface and spline connecting slipwith slip activating pin; spiral spring seated in inclined, elon gatedbore hole, and metal plate secured with set screws to hold slip in placeand tension on spring; two latch sections or segments, which are a partof the frame, and latch bolt with a threaded portion, a washer, a nut, ahand hold, spherical seating surface and bell seats for bolt head andwasher; there being a slot in latch segment to receive latch bolt whenclosing apparatus around casing, there being a vertical slot and ta redopening in each frame segment as optional anchor position for liftingbail.

i t i t t

1. A combination casing elevator and spider and method, for loweringcasing in well bores and removing same therefrom, comprising a duplicatepair; each consisting of a plurality of interconnected, circular hingedframe segments of varying lengths, with inclined, splined slip bearingsurfaces, there being an inclined, elongated bore hole for slipactivating spring and splined slip pin; casing slips with groovegripping surface, inclined bearing surface and spline connecting slipwith slip activating pin; spiral spring seated in inclined, elongatedbore hole, and metal plate secured with set screws to hold slip in placeand tension on spring; two latch sections or segments, which are a partof the frame, and latch bolt with a threaded portion, a washer, a nut, ahand hold, spherical seating surface and bell seats for bolt head andwasher; there being a slot in latch segment to receive latch bolt whenclosing apparatus around casing, there being a vertical slot and taperedopening in each frame segment as optional anchor position for liftingbail.